Wagon-tongue



(No Model.)

J. W. MAXWELL.

v WAGON TONGUE.

Patented May 10, 1892.

' tending along the bottom thereof.

" I lTED STATES PATENT Ornicn.

JESSE W. MAXWELL, OF FAIR RIVER, MISSISSIPPI.

WAGON-TONGUE SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 474,582, dated May 10, 1892. Application filed January 30, 1892. Serial No. 419,752. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J ESSE W. MAXWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fair River, in the county of Lincoln and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Wagon-Ton gues; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and'exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in vehicle-tongues, but more especially to that class of tongues which are supported at their front ends by a yoke or a part of the harness, the object being to provide means for preventing the accidental detachment of the tongue from the harness.

The invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in both views.

Figure 1 represents a central longitudinal sectional view of the front end of the tongue. Fig. 2 represents a bottom plan view of the same.

1 designates a tongue of the usual construction used on vehicles or machines to which it is desirable to attach two or more horses. Only the front end of thetongue is shown, as the invention relates to that part only.

2 designates the ring at the nose of the tongue, which has a flat extension 3 extending rearwardly along the top of the tongue, and a similar though shorter extension 4 ex- The extension 1 extending along the bottom terminates just below the center of a recess 5, cut in the lower side of the tongue, and the extremity of the said extension is turned downwardly and reduced to a thin edge, as at 6. Bolts 7 and 8 are passed through the tongue and the two extensions 3 and 4 to secure these parts firmly together. A piece of iron 9 is secured to the lower side of the tongue at short distance in rear of the recess 5, and the said piece extends forwardly and downwardly to a point just below the rear end of the said recess, where it is bent upwardly, as at 10, to form a shoulder and reduced in size, as at 11, to form a bolt, which passes through the tongue and the extension 3, the upper end of the said bolt being screw-threaded to receive a nut 12, which is screwed down upon the top of the extension 3 of the nose, as shown.

flat plate 13 is placed in the recess 5, through which pass the bolts 8 and 11. The shoulder let upon the bolt 11 serves to keep the plate 13 in place. A flat spring 15 is placed upon the under side of the tongue, between it and the piece 9, and both the spring and the piece 9 are secured to the tongue by a bolt 16, which passes through their rear ends, the tongue, and the end of the extension 3 of the nose 2, thus holding these parts firmly together. An aperture 17 is formed near the forward end of the spring 15, through which passes the upwardly-turned end of the piece 9, and the said aperture is made large enough to allow of the free movement of the end of the spring upon the piece 9. The forward end of the spring 15 is turned up, as at 18, and normally rests upon or bears against the downwardly-turned end of the extension at of 75 the nose 2, but may readily be pressed up to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. l to allow the ring 20 to pass into the recess 5. The yoke or harness is secured in any suitable manner to the ring 20, which, when in the recess 5, as shown in the drawings, will support the forward end of the tongue, as will be readily understood. The spring 15, resting, as it does, normally against the end of the extension 4 of the nose, will effectually prevent the accidental displacement of the ring 20; but by moving the ring forward in the recess 5 and then pressing the spring upward to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 the said ring may beeasily removed, as will be apparent.

It will be seen that by the mechanism hereinbefore described and shown I provide a device which is cheap and simple in construction, durable, easy in operation, and very effective for the purpose designed.

It will be understood that I do not wish to limit myself to the precise details of construction as herein described, as slight modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-- 1. The combination, with a vehicle-tongue having a recess in the under side thereof, a nose extending along the upper side of the tongue, and a piece from the nose extending along thelowerside of the tongue, terminating under the recess to partially close the same, of a spring secured to the lower side of the tongue and meeting the end of the lower extension from the nose to normally close the recess, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a vehicle-tongue having a recess in thelower side of the same, a nose extending along the. upper side of the tongue, and a piece from the nose extending along the lower side and terminating under the recess to partially close the same, of a spring secured to the lower side of the tongue and meeting the end of the extension from the nose to normally close, the recess, and a piece of metal secured to the lower side of the tongue, below the. spring and bent upwardly to form a shoulder, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a vehicle-tongue v having a recess in the lower side of the same, a nose having an extension secured upon the top of the tongue, and a second extension from the. nose extending along the lower side of the tongue and terminating under the recess to partially close the same, of a spring secured to the lower side of the tongue and meeting the end of the extension from the nose to normally close the said recess, a piece of metal secured to the tongue below the spring and bent upwardly to form a shoulder, a plate secured in the recess, and a shoulder let upon the upwardly-extending end of the piece 9 to hold the plate in place, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a vehicle-tongue,

a recess in the lower side of the same, a nose having an extension secured upon the top of the tongue, and a second extension from the nose extending along the lower side of the 1 tongue and terminating under the recess to partially close the same, of a spring secured to the lower side of the tongue and meeting the end of the extension from the nose to normally close the said recess, a piece of metal secured to the tongue below the spring and bent upwardly to form ashoulder, a plate secured in the recess, a shoulder 14 upon the upwardly-extending end of the, piece 9 to hold the plate in place, and a bolt 11, formed of the reduced upper end of the piece 9, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JESSE W. MAXWELL.

Witnesses:

J. W. MOGRATH, D. D. EWING. 

